


Those New Folks

by likesynonymsforjoy



Category: Harvest Moon
Genre: A mix of the characters and settings of A(nother) Wonderful Life and DS (Cute), Celia and Flora are both around 25, F/F, First Meetings, I'm president of the Vesta Fan Club, it Will Be WLW, this will be an eventual series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 12:27:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19723687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likesynonymsforjoy/pseuds/likesynonymsforjoy
Summary: Celia greets the new archaeologists who are setting up camp by the waterfall. She's a bit starstruck by Flora.





	Those New Folks

“Those new gravediggers up the way seem real interestin’, eh?”

Celia, delicate thing that she was, spooked a bit at the macabre question coming from the great, hardy woman walking up beside her.

“Gravediggers? Vesta…” Celia trailed off, hesitantly worried. 

Vesta threw her head back, barking out a short laugh. “Be calm, child. It’s fossils and the like they’re working with. A couple of archaeologists, Takakura said. Some stodgy seeming middle aged man and a spunky carrot top gal about your age.”

Celia bristled at child when her supposed peer was called woman but let it slide for the moment. Her affection for her boss - more of a mentor, really - meant making such allowances. The moniker might’ve been diminutive, but it came from a place of great care.

She huffed out a sigh of relief, followed by, “Oh, Auntie. Don’t frighten me like that! You know how gullible I can be.” She was lighthearted, teasing, if a bit self-deprecating; moving out to Forget-Me-Not Valley some years back had granted her a looseness that a childhood of poor health and isolation had stunted. It was far easier for her to feel open and free outside of the choking air of the city she’d moved from.

Vesta shrugged only half apologetically and handed Celia a basket of their farm’s assorted spring crops.

“Here’s an idea. Deliver this to ‘em so you can calm those nerves of yours and see that I was just pullin’ your leg. We’ll be supplying their produce - got a good deal set up to keep their stores full. I’d send Marlin, but we want ‘em to feel welcomed, ya dig?” Another hearty laugh at her clever wordplay and the thought of her moody brother making nice with newcomers.

Kind as she was, Celia was loath to disagree with Vesta’s assessment of Marlin. She tried to say something gracious but floundered, flushing as she came up short.

“Ah, but he’s...dear Marlin...we. Well. We sure love him, anyway!”

Vesta pulled her in for a brief embrace with one solid arm - they really were just about family - and nudged her towards the door.

“‘Course we love that old grump brother of mine. Now head on out before the sun gets too hot.”  
____________________________________________________________________________

Dust clouded up around Celia’s shoes as she strolled along the dirt road. The archaeologists had set up camp next to the waterfall at the edge of the valley, and she did so love to go about things slowly on sweet mornings like this. Seeing new faces in the Valley was always thrilling, and it’d been ages since Nami, standoffish and aloof but not unkind, had taken up residence at the Inn. Two new residents in one go? That was unheard of in the time she’d lived in these parts. She wondered what the folks would be like: social and friendly, eccentric like the scientist in town, maybe clinical and distant like her old doctors? Lost among her musings, she abruptly rounded the sheer hill that marked the waterfall’s clearing. There were tools and moving boxes scattered around the rocky hillside and a utilitarian tent in the shade of a young tree, but no stodgy man or spunky woman in sight.

Softspoken but certainly not shy, Celia trilled, “Hellooo! Delivery from Vesta’s farm here,” as she approached the tent. After a few seconds of rustling and some faint murmured conversation, a gloved hand pushed back the flap, and a ginger woman ambled out. She jogged up to Celia, reaching out for a handshake.

“Hey there! Name’s Flora. I’m the assistant archaeologist here and the boss is Dr. Carter - he’s still in the tent unpacking and organizing, you know how it is. Somebody’s gotta do the dirty work...not that our dig isn’t gonna be dirty! Sorry, I’m babbling on. Are you Vesta?”

A tad overwhelmed by Flora’s exuberance, Celia took a beat to answer, “Goodness, no! Vesta’s back at the farm tending to the crops. I work for her alongside her brother, Marlin. I’m Celia,” all said with a sweet smile as she grasped the other woman’s proffered hand and shook and _my Goddess, what a firm grip._

“Well then, Miss Celia, pleased as punch to meet ya! Thanks for the veg - everything looks top quality! Listen, I’ve gotta get back to setting up, but I’ll pop on by later with Carter in tow to meet you and yours properly. He’s not too chatty himself, but chances are, we’ll be here a while. Gotta know thy neighbors and all.”

With that, she beamed toothily, all laugh lines and squinted eyes. Celia blinked, felt her breath stutter, smiled back tightly, and said her goodbyes.

_What a dazzling woman_ , she thought to herself, shooing the thought away and sauntering on home a bit faster than usual. _Vesta was right: spunky’s the word._

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first of what I hope will become a series of vignettes that document a burgeoning friendship and eventual relationship between the friendly neighbor girl next door and the dusty fossil goblin of Forget-Me-Not Valley. Why? SURPRISE because I'm a bi woman and have only recently started coming out and have decided to use fanfiction to meander around my thoughts and feelings on things. Harvest Moon is my OG fandom, comforting, rife with opportunities to explore characters and their relationships, and sorely lacking in queer content. I've never done anything overly ambitious when writing fanfiction and I'm honestly not sure where I'm planning to go with this. I struggle mightily with dialogue, verb tense, characterization, and virtually everything else. All I'm good for is academic papers.Suggestions are so welcome and needed.


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